A strong ally

At Thursday’s hearing on EmblemHealth’s proposal to go public, a familiar face was seen in the front row … H. Carl McCall, the former state comptroller and one-time gubernatorial candidate.

The Albany hearing was held to gather comments from the company and the public on the New York City health insurance company’s plan to convert to a for-profit organization. It’s currently not-for-profit. EmblemHealth, owner of Group Health Inc. and insurer of many state
workers, says it needs to make the shift to compete with larger, for-profit firms.

McCall, it seems, has been hired as a “consultant” by Emblem.

“He just started,” said Ilene Margolin, a spokeswoman for Emblem. “He’s involved with corporate governance. He has a lot of experience.”

Margolin, without being asked, noted that McCall was not a lobbyist. Indeed, he’s not listed on a state registry for lobbyists.

But with his many years in government and connections to highly placed officials around New York, he’s certainly someone to have in your corner … especially with some state officials expressing skepticism toward Emblem’s proposal.

During the meeting, McCall sat alone in the front row, facing officials from the state Insurance and Health departments. Most of the other “suits” in the room sat on the other side, near the Emblem executives.

When asked by Buzz what brought him to the meeting, McCall was vague. “I’m enjoying private life,” he added, before walking away.